Wonderful selections .... makes me want to get out/ check out so many pieces ....
My nominations for instant breath-taking & jaw-dropping (literally) impact:

* Bulgarian women's village songs as recorded by the Radio Sofia Choir singing arrangements by Philipe Koutev, especially featuring soloist Yanka Rupkina (released as "Le Mystere des Voix Bulgares") .... unbelievable harmonies & tone

* Kora (first heard live courtesy of "Les Ballets Africains" 1965 Australian tour) .... currently the classic Jali Musa Jawara (Djeli Moussa Diawara) ensemble with his kora & singing augmented by balafon & guitar & 2 backing singers is hard to beat ..... pulse rather than beat.

* Ellen McIlwaine singing and playing her amazing & innovative slide guitar on "We the People", recorded live & solo at Carnegie Hall.

(Re previous posts:
- lead singer of The Platters back then: Tony Williams.
- "Jesus' Blood Never Failed Me Yet", with Tom Waits eventually singing along with anon homeless man, is out on CD under name of arranger Gavin Byers)